


Like a Red Rose

by escapingeveline



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff, Gender-Neutral My Unit | Byleth, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Relationship, Sickfic, but like kinda slow burn?, but we wont go super into angst cause tbh i dont want to, dimilex, fraldarddyd - Freeform, i mean its these two, im a simple man i just want these two to kiss, probably eventually, they'll get there eventually, this is like after the time skip and once dimitri starts talking again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-02 08:28:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20272948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/escapingeveline/pseuds/escapingeveline
Summary: It's just a simple mission. Chase out the pirates, keep everyone safe, don't get stranded out on the island off the beach once the tide comes in. They can do that, right?Starts off as a sick fic, turns into a love story. Felix cares for Dimitri just as much as Dimitri cares for him and I'm going to expose this dumbass if its the last thing I do.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t written fic in forever, literally years, but there is just so little content for these two, I just have to do Something to fill the void.  
This isn’t my best work! But its just for fun so I don’t really care all that much. If there are any glaring mistakes feel free to give me a heads up. But ultimately it's unbeta'd, probably awkward at points and a hot mess, much like the author herself.
> 
> It’s set post timeskip, post angst Dimitri, in a weird bubble with no angst whatsoever because I want it to.
> 
> The Title, "Like a Red Rose" refers to the lyrics of the main theme of the game, cause I think it fits them.
> 
> Is the song about Dimitri and Felix? No.  
But this fic is.

“I’m just _so tired_ of pirates.”

Felix has had this conversation before.

“It just feels like they come back every month, ya know? There is just always a weekend where we all go fight these guys and its all. Sylvain! Don’t forget to tie your horse to a tree before she runs off again!”

Well, perhaps saying he had the conversation was giving him too much credit. He’d listened to this one-sided conversation before. Sylvain was doing all the talking.

“Like, it only happened once, and that’s cause I tied her to driftwood. There’s not a lot of trees on the beach and whatever. And then that one guy hit the wood with a fire spell and I’m just saying, how is that even my fault!?”

“Has it occurred to you to just leave her at the monastery?”

Felix’s tone made it clear that he knew very well that it had never occurred to him.

A snort, followed by the sound of wings came from behind him as Ingrid set her pegasus down by his side, bringing the creature to a gentle trot.

“What are you kidding? We only really bring you for the horse nowadays. She’s our best fighter. You just happen to come with.”

Felix ducked his head in stead of a laugh as Sylvain squawked in protest.

Sylvain, as much as the concept pained him to consider, was right. This sort of environment was difficult to traverse in for horses. The last time they had fought here, Sylvain had been left behind, the front lines quickly passing far beyond his reach. His friend had spent that night by the camp bonfire, moping while Ingrid recounted her swift surprise attack to the leader of the bandits.

Felix himself had struggled to run on the sandy ground. He had even tried to attempt to run towards one of the islands just off the beach, only to be quickly overtaken by Seteth, who took care of the bandits hiding out there in minutes. That battle had also left Felix with wet boots, and a bit put out. But he wasn’t about to project that to everyone, unlike someone else he knew.

“Felix does have a point though. Dimitri leaves his horse behind. And now he gets along just fine.”

He felt his shoulders tense up at the name.

“Dimitri doesn’t even ride a horse anymore! God knows why Teach keeps assigning him to stable duty.”

Byleth assigned Dimitri to stable duty simply because Dimitri liked horses. Felix could tell. It was glaringly obvious. At least to him. Their smile always softened at the Boar as he perked up a little bit at the assignment. And then, without fail, their smile would turn to Felix himself as he got assigned as his partner that week.

He wasn’t quite sure why, but there was something about that soft smile of the professor’s that, when turned towards him that made him uneasy. All-knowing, but also kind. He wondered what went on in their head.

He glanced up at their professor. Their slight figure cut a sharp contrast with the large, hulking mass that was Dimitri as the two lead the march towards the coast. The years had made the Boar Prince grow from a boy into a brute. Finally, a body to match the man’s ridiculous strength.

They’ve been paired together for more assignments than he could count by now. The Professor seemed determined not to separate them. Which was horrible. The other week was Pegasus duty. Dimitri had laughed so hard when Felix’s own traitorous creature had smacked him upside the head with a stray wing while his back was turned, the other man had to fly far above the monastery spires in order to escape Felix’s ire.

He didn’t tell anyone about the incident, and for that, Felix was almost grateful. But there had been days where he’d meet the other man’s eyes from across the table during their training and they would crinkle _just so,_ so that Felix knew he was being made fun of. He averted his eyes as soon as he felt the blood start to rise to his cheeks, but there was no mistaking Dimitri’s shoulders shaking out of the corner of his vision.

It was then that usually Byleth would say something along the lines of “Is there something we’d like to share with the class?” but as it just so happened, they would stay silent. Just watching the blatant bullying with a smile. _Traitor._

“_Hey_.”

Felix head snapped back up at Sylvain. He sighed, trying his best to seem as if he’d been ignoring him instead of spacing out. He had a reputation to uphold after all.

“What?”

“I was _trying to say_, thanks for brushing her out last week.” Sylvain patted the neck of his horse fondly. “This beauty needs a nice shiny coat to match my nice shiny armor.”

“Dimitri is the one who got all particular about the grooming portion of the task.” Felix shrugged. “He talks to them sometimes. It’s a little strange.”

It was a little sweet too. Felix wouldn’t say that they were close. Not like when they were kids, no. But it had becoming increasingly bearable to spend time with the man. Although at first he was just relieved that Dimitri was speaking to them again. Now they ran through chores like a well-oiled machine.

“So it’s like that then huh?” Sylvain smirked down at him, and for a moment, he damned his decision to never really get into horseback riding. The height difference was starting to annoy him.

“It’s like what?”

“No more _Boar Prince_.” Ingrid puffed her cheeks out and furrowed her brows. Felix suspected that she thought that was a good imitation of himself. “Now he’s Dimitri again?”

“No, I-“

Ingrid had not finished.

“Ooooh _Dimitri_. Why I wish I was that horse, so that I could just bask in your affection.”

She lifted the back of her hand to her forehead in a pantomime of swooning. Her expression however, stayed the same grumpy pout.

Sylvain barked in laughter, slapping his thigh.

“If only you would run your fingers through my hair like you do for the horses. Oh if only I could feel that tou-whOA” he snapped back to dodge the pebble that had been hurtled towards his head.

“Careful Sylvain. It looks like you’re hitting too close to home.” Ingrid trotted a bit further from their group, mindful of where Felix would hit next.

“The _hell _are you guys talking about!?”

“I dunno. But it’s fun. And your face is all red.” Unlike Ingrid, Sylvain kept his pace by Felix’s side. Clearly having not learned his lesson.

“Oh my god it_ is_.”

“Yes, because you two _infuriate_ me.”

“Your cheeks are so pink! It’s almost cute.”

The next stone (Bigger. More threatening.) flew towards Ingrid, who dodged it without much fanfare.

“Oh Dimitri!” Sylvain cooed loud enough for the man in question to turn around, thinking he had been addressed. “Hold me in your arms and don’t ever let go.”

Dimitri’s expression went from confused, to unimpressed as he realized who he was dealing with. Sylvian blew the royal a kiss as he turned back to his conversation with Byleth.

“I’m going to break your horses legs the next time I have stable duty. Do you understand?”

“I thought the horse was our best fighter.”

Ingrid’s laugh overtook her so suddenly, she nearly slipped off her pegasus.

* * *

This time, the professor left them to their own devices, staying just close enough in case of an emergency rescue, but not engaging in any of the pirates themselves. On one hand that was a relief – it usually meant that they had assessed the situation as not being too dangerous. More practice for the class.

On the other, that also meant that most of the bandits were easy wins.

Felix huffed. Most of these guys were barely a challenge. He’d been left with the stragglers. Or at least the ones he could reach before Annette ran in to toss them twenty feet in the air. He slipped his sword back into its sheath, glancing around the field and getting a quick headcount. Seteth and Ingrid were long gone by now, probably off to snag another big victory at the far end of the beach. That’s where Byleth had guessed their Captain to be.

It was probably for the best this fight finish up early, Felix thought. They had reached the beach later than they had wanted, the sun already starting to set. But Byleth assured them that this particular fight would be a quick win for them. Most likely.

Sylvain was nowhere to be seen, of course. He didn’t feel bad about leaving the other boy behind at all. It was his own fault he was slow in the sand. And besides, Dedue was nearby. The larger man sunk right into the sand with his larger armor. And if these bandits weren’t a challenge for Annette, they wouldn’t stand a chance of catching their breath with Dedue. Although it was strange to see him far from Dimitri’s side.

Felix frowned. Where was their great leader anyway?

He twisted around, managing to spot Mercedes and Ashe making their way up a hill, but the beach was otherwise, kingless.

It wasn’t until he thought to look away from the beach and towards the water when he spotted a large figure, furiously wading across to the islands.

Alone.

_Idiot._

Felix dug his heels into the sand and ran.

Hobbled would have been a better word for what Felix did at first. But after a moment of wavering in the water, his sword waving around akimbo as he struggled to find balance, Felix found his stride, favoring the balls of his feet as he made for the princely idiot ahead.

There was no need for either of them to be speeding out here. The island across the beach usually only held a ruffian or two, which, either way, would just end up making off as soon as they realized their boss had lost the battle. And although Dimitri was strong, there was no sense in risking your life to defeat someone unimportant. He supposed that was just the way of the brutish king. The Boar had simply smelled blood.

Felix pushed through, his thighs burning from the drag of the seawater. It was then that he noticed what Dimitri saw from across the beach. Not a ruffian or two, but three. One man, leading another two. And the only reason one man would bring such a noticeable group of men with him all the way out here, would be to escape.

They were helping their Captain escape.

Felix swore under his breath. Both at the infuriatingly slow speed at which he made his way to Dimitri, and also at just how stupid and ignorant they had all been not to notice. It was an easy battle. No one had even bothered to give it more attention than it was worth.

Dimitri had just dodged an attack from one of the thugs and Felix could already see him projecting his next attack, his body coiled, seeing only the man in front of him that dared got in his way. And in his blind spot, the other pirate raised his sword.

Felix’s own sword barely made it in time, the metal clanging harshly against each other.

“_Idiot_.” Was the only greeting Felix offered, buried under a grunt of frustration as he drove the attacker back.

He heard a quiet sigh from the other man – relief probably, that the voice in his blind spot was an ally and not yet another pirate. Even if the ally was just Felix.

He shifted comfortably in Dimitri’s blind spot and quickly sized up his opponent. And struck.

His blade made quick work of the other man, the metal smoothly sinking into the skin. Felix withdrew his sword, letting the bleeding out do the rest of the work for him. His own blood sung in his ears. Vibrating under his skin. The fool had thought to damage Dimitri. Now he’d never so much as breathe in front of the crown again.

Felix let out a sigh of relief, relaxing for just a moment to spare a glance towards his battle partner.

Who was already making his way towards the final man, perched on top of the platform of the island, giving him the advantage as his hands raising in a way that could only mean a spell.

“_Dimi-“_

Dimitri’s spear lashed out, slashing at the boots of the Captain. Blood struck out of the boots just enough so that Felix could see that his aim was true. He had cut through the tendon. And the man stumbled off the edge.

He caught his balance on his good foot, just barely swinging himself out of the way of an almost lazy attempt from Dimitri’s spear. But bringing him right towards Felix himself.

“FELIX!”

Dimitri’s one good eye locked with his. And Felix understood. The messy weapon work was just to get the Captain towards himself.

By the time the Captain fumbled over, struggling through the sand and pain on panic and one good foot, it didn’t take much. With a single slash of his sword, the man fell in a crumpled heap.

Dimitri was smiling at him. Panting with exertion and soaked from the thigh down, but smiling.

“You had my back. Thank you.”

Felix averted his eyes. It wasn’t a smile that he deserved. They weren’t friends. Not anymore.

“I only came to keep you alive. You weren’t thinking much at all when you just ran over here by yourself, were you?” he knelt down by the body, wiping his blade of blood over the Captain’s tunic.

Dimitri bristled, his lance clutched protectively in front of him.

“Well…I thank you all the same.”

And there was that smile again. Too soft and warm for the person that was wearing it. Too soft and warm to be faced in his direction.

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s go.”

It took him more than a few steps to figure out something was wrong. The first hint was that Dimitri had completely ignored the order to leave. Felix had at first assumed that that was because Dimitri thought himself too kingly to take someone else’s orders.

Felix knew that to be completely untrue, but he moved on ahead in the ocean anyway, desperate to leave the conversation.

The next clue was that the water was quickly reaching his thighs with no signs of shallowing out.

He paused. Then turned towards the other man, who was just staring just as helplessly back at him.

The tide had come in.

“This is my fault.” Dimitri at least looked guilty about it.

Felix huffed, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t give me that. If you hadn’t stormed off like an idiot, we never would have found their damned leader.”

He waded back, grumbling to himself as he reached the steps of the stone platform, his shoes seeping with sea water.

“Now what?”

If he wasn’t in the same boat as the prince, it would have been hilarious to see Dimitri as he was now. Just stuck on this island with nowhere to go. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, clutching his spear although he had no one left to fight. He looked like a lost helpless puppy.

Except horrible and hard-headed and his coat probably smelled bad, Felix decided.

“We try to flag down Ingrid or Seteth to come fly us out.” He said finally. Felix awaited the explanation as to just _how_ they would be doing that, but it never came.

After a moment’s pause, Dimitri rested his lance on the pillar of the stone platform and sat down beside Felix.

“Or. We wait.”

Felix raised a brow.

“That could take till morning.”

“You’re right. I suppose instead we could just die.” Dimitri paused, then turned to Felix, his brows furrowed in concern.

“I am joking. That was a joke.” He clarified.

Felix exhaled in a way that could be mistaken for a laugh if he wasn’t careful.

“Alright well, you do that. I’m going to go dry off.” He unlaced and kicked his boots off, letting them fall into a wet slouch on the stairs. Dimitri stared at the shoes for a moment, brows furrowed.

“We’ll need a fire. You’ll freeze like that at night.”

Felix waved the thought away, not sparing the other man a glance. “Find some wood then. I’ll take care of the rest.

Dimitri, thank goodness, didn’t question him any further, and just did as he was told, leaving Felix to take care of himself. He unclasped his belts, one by one, dropping the armor unceremoniously to the floor. His swords, however, he took great care to place gently on the stone. The cloak over his shoulders was dry and could make for a good pillow for the night. He was squeezing some of the water from his jacket out by hand over the edge of the platform when Dimitri returned.

“These were all that I could really find.” He placed the small pile of driftwood at the center and then turns to Felix, frowning.

“What?”

“W-what?” Dimitri echoed.

“Don’t look at me like that. What do you want? Praise?” Felix snapped out the fabric of his cloak, deeming it as dry as possible by hand. “Good job you found some sticks. I’m not the professor, you know.”

“I was wondering how we’d start the fire. And how you were intending to stay warm all night.”

Felix turned with a huff, making his way to kneel by the pile of wood. And concentrated.

The energies connected in his body and with a sharp_ crack_, and the wood lit aflame.

“Does that answer both of your questions?”

“You’ve been learning magic!” Dimitri’s gloved hands were clasped together in front of his mouth in what was almost childish awe. Felix flinched at the sudden change of tone. “Since when did you study fire magic?”

“It’s…. thunder actually.” He shifted uncomfortably at the attention.

“How did you know it would work?” He was now kneeling by the flames, watching Felix through the fire.

Felix shrugged. “I guessed. Had to work eventually. Take your shoes off, you have to dry them out, idiot.”

Dimitri sat down beside the fire and set to doing just that.

“Armor too.”

Felix held his hand out. Dimitri blinked.

“I’m not going to have you die of pneumonia.” There was an implied _I don’t care about you, but- _before that statement.

“I’ve been alright in wet armor before.”

Felix narrowed his eyes, knowing exactly when “before” was.

“I don’t care what you did as a beast. If I send you back to the monastery sick, Mercedes will have my head.”

He watched as Dimitri sifted through his options in his head. And then acquiesced. He unattached the fur cape that clung to his shoulders and slid it off, handing it over to Felix. Felix knew the cape to be heavy. It simply _looked _heavy. His outstretched arm bowed slightly as he took on the weight. It, fortunately, didn’t seem to be too wet. Just the thin fabric on the edge of the piece.

“I don’t think Mercedes is capable of taking your head. That woman has incredible patience.”

“Yes well, she’ll definitely try her hardest to make me feel guilty if you die.” Felix laid the cape out beside his own jacket, then started to shimmy out of the rest of his clothes himself. Fortunately, the water didn’t touch his upper body, and had also left his undergarments dry enough. The pants, however, were slick to his skin, causing him to stumble around a little as he struggled with the removal of them. Dimitri chuckled softly behind him. Felix decided not to notice it.

He stood after finally managing the struggle with his pants, feeling more than a little out of place wearing just his shirt and undershorts. At least the long sleeves would keep him warm in the night. He glanced back to Dimitri, who was not as lucky.

“Are you….is that it?” he wasn’t sure how to ask the question.

Dimitri, who was suddenly wearing only his undershorts, shrugged.

Nudity never really bothered Felix. He’d changed in front of men and women before battles. Then, it was neither the time nor the place to get flustered over such things. Much like how it was now. Which is why Felix paid little attention to it and instead realized how much the other man had changed.

He had become so much...wider than he was as a boy, just five years ago. His previously smooth skin mottled with scars and faded wounds. Marks that could have healed in time had they been treated.

But back then there was no one to care for him.

And here Dimitri was now, sitting cross legged in front of their tiny fire, mostly naked and completely unguarded.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you not own clothes outside of armor? I don’t….” Felix made a vague gesture towards the other man, glancing back at the pile of wet clothes.

“Were you expecting me to wear my church best to battle?”

“You’re going to freeze out here.” It was a statement, not a question.

“I’ve been through worse. And I’ll just wear the cloak once it dries up a little.”

“You realize that “I’ve been through worse” Isn’t a valid excuse for anything? Let alone everything.”

Dimitri just looked at him, confused.

Felix sighed and picked the royal’s cloak back up. He sat by the fire, the furs pooling around his hips as he held up the wet end of the fabric towards the heat. Did royals honestly not know how to do a thing for themselves? He’d knew Dimitri wasn’t stupid, but when it came to taking care of himself…

A noise to his left brought him out of his thoughts, as he saw Dimitri mirror his own position. Although holding Felix’s jacket instead.

“And just what do you think you’re doing?”

“You’re going to freeze out here.”

Felix was not too happy about hearing his own argument slapped back into his face.

“You’re very…honest, Felix.” In this case, a synonym for ‘_rude_’, Felix reasoned. “And I know you’re just trying to help me. But you cannot be of any help to me if you cannot help yourself first.”

“You think I’m doing this for you!?”

He was and he knew it. They both knew it. Dimitri pretended he hadn’t said anything at all.

“Besides, this would be nice to sleep on. This stone doesn’t make for a good mattress. And it’s cold.”

“And just what would I be sleeping on, now that you’ve helped yourself to my things?”

Dimitri looked away from Felix’s jacket, to Felix himself, confused.

“Also the jacket? And then we can use my cloak as a blanket. The furs are very warm.”

“You want us to share a bed?” Felix deadpanned.

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Back then we were _children-_“

“Or the second. Or third or fourth. Come to think of it, I can’t remember a time I actually spent alone in my quarters whenever our parents met.” Dimitri’s lip twitched, stifling a teasing smile.

“I can just throw your cloak in the fire. You know that right?”

“You insisted on holding my hand too. So that if someone grabbed me that night, you’d be able to wake and protect me.”

“_Dimitri_.”

“Could you imagine? You were such a crybaby back then, but you were still so determined to – _oof_” The weight of his cloak being shoved into his face stifled the end of the recollection.

“Enjoy your cold, wet blanket, boar.” Felix pushed himself off the ground, no longer interested in helping. He snatched his own jacket from the other man’s hands. Still damp, but it mattered little.

“Don’t you mean _our_ cold, wet blanket?”

“When we run out of wood, I’m using your corpse.”

* * *

When Felix woke the next morning, his body felt like a pile of bricks, tied into a sack that was roughly in the shape of his body.

He opened his eyes blearily, noting immediately that he was alone. Although Dimitri’s cloak was tucked carefully into him. Which was a good sign. That meant that either Dimitri had already woken up and had just adjusted the cloak for him. Or that whoever had kidnapped The Boar Prince had been kind enough to tuck him in.

Felix’s eyes closed, content with his safety in those odds. The cold of the stone floor seeped through the jacket on the floor and into his bones, protesting any idea that included getting out from under the heavy cloak. It didn’t smell half as bad as he imagined. Just sort of smelled like the ocean at this point. The ocean and something else that tickled the back of his memory.

He had little trouble falling asleep the night before, despite it all. Dimitri’s cloak was more than big enough for the two of them. His jacket made for a terrible bedsheet however. And it was not nearly as big enough for the both of them to sleep comfortably.

So they had laid back to back, allowing Felix to be quietly grateful for the warmth he was stealing away from his bed mate.

He had expected it to be an awkward and embarrassing affair. But instead he had fallen quiet and calm by Dimitri’s side. A leftover from their childhood, he reasoned. Now that he was awake, the more embarrassing affair ended up being just how easily he let down his guard around the one person he claimed to never trust. It should have been like sleeping with a pack of feral wolves. Careful. Dangerous.

And yet the Boar Prince had taken the care to tuck him in.

His hands felt empty. He wasn’t sure why.

Felix huffed at himself, annoyed. It was far too early. He wanted a warm bath. He felt his hair had become undone in the night. He didn’t want to brush it.

He was starting to sound like Sylvain.

It was that thought that finally brought him out of his stupor, sitting up and blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

“Felix?”

Dimitri was a striking figure against the sun.

The other man stood at the edge of the platform, a sharp contrast of black against the reds, pink and blondes of the sunrise. He had already dressed himself in his armor. Which just made Felix wish for his pants. Hopefully dry. Instead he brought adjusted the warm cloak up and under his chin and blinked up at Dimitri in response.

“I woke up a little earlier and I had been thinking. You know how you used your magic to light that fire last night?”

Felix frowned. He wasn’t quite up to the task of big ideas just yet.

“Where are you going with this?” his voice croaked out of his throat. A reaction to the cold air, probably.

“We probably could have lit some of that wood on fire and set it on my lance to wave the professor down last night.” Dimitri waved his lance in a half-hearted demonstration.

A laugh ripped out of Felix’s throat before he could have any say in the matter.

By Seiros they were stupid.

He looked up at the other man, squinting a little against the sun. Felix opened his mouth to place the idiocy on Dimitri’s shoulders somehow.

But there was that smile again. Soft and fond. His remaining eye crinkled at him with an emotion that Felix couldn’t quite name.

His laugh quickly turned into a cough.

Felix finally pushed the cloak off, giving himself some space to breathe as he pounded at his own chest, eyes watering, throat burning. In a second Dimitri’s hands were on him too, steadying his back. A cold hand reached his forehead. And Felix understood what had happened all at once. The chill. The heaviness of his body. The burn of his throat.

“You’ve caught a cold.” Dimitri announced.

“Don’t you dare-“ Felix raised a finger to Dimitri, taking the moment to clear his throat. “Don’t you dare try to baby me over this.”

The other man stared at him. And then broke out into a grin. Not the same smile that had been haunting him all this time. A completely different expression, cocky and mocking.

“After all the trouble you gave me about getting sick last night.” Dimitri’s grin trembled a moment, and then broke out into a laugh. “So worried about pneumonia, you caught it for me.”

Felix grabbed for the cloak, ready to ball it up and throw it at the offending royal. But Dimitri caught his hand, patting it down.

“Keep it for today. You need it more than me.”

He glared at him through unkempt hair. Knowing damn well he was still being made fun of, but also that it was an honest offer. He wasn’t sure which embarrassed him more.

“Just until we get home.” The mocking tone was gone from Dimitri’s voice. The back of his hand touched his cheek and Felix flinched. “You look completely flushed.”

Felix slapped his hand away, although half-heartedly.

“I’ll be fine.”

“I hope so. Ingrid and Sylvain would hold it over my head forever if you’d died.”

Felix grimaced at the thought of what those two would say if they saw him like this. Unkempt and wearing another’s cloak. Like he’d just spent the night having a tryst and was sneaking back in the early hours of the morning. He couldn’t go back like this.

But there was no real way of explaining just why he could absolutely not come back looking all fussed up in Dimitri’s cloak, without explaining to Dimitri just what the three of them had been discussing earlier.

So he bit back the complaint, and rose from their makeshift bed.

His pants had dried well enough. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his boots. But he slipped them on anyway, shivering as his feet were suddenly cold and wet again. Adjusting the cloak and tying his hair back into his standard ponytail, the two of them set off across the now shallow water.

If Felix squinted he could just make out a couple figures by the beach. One, he could tell from the shock of orange, was Sylvain, shouting something incomprehensible across the surf. Another was Annette, waving back to them if if they couldn’t see where they were supposed to be going. The final figure was undoubtedly Dedue. He stood silently, watching the two of them approach with his arms crossed.

By the time they were in plain sight, Sylvain’s jeers had quieted down. Instead they were greeted with a wolf whistle as they broke through the surf. Dimitri smiled back at him, probably figuring that the other man was complimenting them on a job well done with the Captain.

Felix loved Sylvain. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but he really did. And yet at that moment he would have given everything for lightning to have struck the idiot down.

“Your Highness,-“ Dedue started, quickly looking Dimitri up and down as the other man tried to wave his concerns away.

“Don’t worry yourself Dedue. Neither of us sustained any lasting damage. We just got caught up in the tide.”

Felix suspected he himself was the least of Dedue’s concerns. And yet surprisingly enough, the taller man gave him the same inspection.

“Felix…”

“Felix caught a cold.” Dimitri explained.

“A cold!?” before he could even react, Annette’s hands had grasped at his arm. “Come on I’ll take you to Mercie. If anyone can help, it’s her.”

“It’s just a head cold.”

“Head cold, foot cold, she can do it all!”

Felix rolled his eyes, but allowed himself to be taken. His body seemed against the idea of fighting back against much of anything either way.

“_So,”_ Sylvain jogged up to his side, clearly having finished with checking up on Dimitri and sensing his attentions being needed elsewhere. “What happened here, huh?” his eyes flashed from Felix, to the coat on his shoulders, and then back to Felix again.

“Nothing.” He rasped back. His voice was already beginning to give out. “What happened to your horse?”

“Don’t try to change the subject.” Sylvain said, immediately changing the subject. “I’ll get her ready for you. There’s no way you’re walking all the way home like this.”

Felix sighed. Grateful that that had worked, and that, as much trouble as he gave him, the other man was still a good friend. If he was being honest, his gut reaction was to refuse the offer outright. He couldn’t stand being treated like a child. But his head and limbs felt like stones. And that part of him wholeheartedly agreed with the offer.

“But don’t think you’re getting away with this cause you’re all pathetic right now and stuff.” Felix turned to glare sharply at him. Sylvain ignored it, and patted his back. “I’m going to go gossip about this with Ingrid now. We’ll give you hell once we get home.”

Felix huffed and pulled the cloak closer to himself, letting the warmth and comforting scent encircle him, before he remembered that he made the decision earlier to hate it. Something in the back of his mind protested. And he let it make its argument, being far too tired to fight back against himself. He’d enjoy it. But just until the end of the day. A compromise.

But after this, nothing will have changed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't even being to tell you how much this little thing has begun to mean to me. 
> 
> I use to love writing as a kid, I would just spit out high word counts without a care in the world. And then as I got older the most I could do was about a couple hundred words or so before giving up and hating everything I've done. It's always a bit difficult to remind myself to not hate my work, and just write for the fun of it, but honestly I'm having so much fun writing all of a sudden, I still can't believe that I've made it even this far.
> 
> And gosh, you guys, sending kudos and dropping comments. Maybe I've just forgotten how good it feels, so I'm unused to it. But I've literally spent some nights just thinking about them. Thank you so so much. I'm sorry I haven't responded, but I don't quite know what to say!
> 
> I promise not to be as sappy in the upcoming notes, but thank you. This is literally the most I've written since middle school and you guys have been amazing.
> 
> Sorry about the long intro, I won't do it again! But please enjoy :)

Felix spent the next day in his room.

His visitors were sparse and few in between. But that was perfectly fine with him. If anything, he preferred to be alone, especially when he was feeling sweaty and sticky.

Mercedes had visited, with Flayn in tow. Felix had nothing against the two of them, but he had the feeling that the older girl was using him as a lesson in healing. Annette had come over to drop off some chicken soup (cooked by Dedue, thank the Goddess), and he had managed to cajole her into inventing a “Get Well Soon Felix” song. Which was entertaining enough until Sylvain had burst into his room later that afternoon, singing the same song, with a couple verses of his own design thrown in. Ingrid had shown up that night with another helping of soup and medicine.

“It should help you fall asleep faster. If what the Professor says is true, this particular strain just sort of likes to keep its victim awake all night, tiring them out until exhaustion.”

“….thanks?”

Felix took the soup, but eyed the medicine warily as Ingrid placed it on his bed stand.

“Sorry. It’s just kind of interesting.”

“Fascinating.” He deadpanned in between spoonfuls of soup.

Ingrid sighed, seating herself by his bed. “How _are_ you feeling by the way? I know you don’t like being bothered by people so I’ve been trying to keep them out, but it doesn’t seem like I’ve been listened to.” She winced. “Sorry about Sylvain.”

Had there been a lot of people? Felix wasn’t sure. It seemed like he hadn’t been visited by anyone at all today.

His eyes dashed quickly to the cloak that had been draped over his chair. And then back to Ingrid, blocking out the thought as quickly as it came. She didn’t seem to notice, so he took one last swallow of the soup before responding.

“Cold. Whatever this cursed cold is I just can’t seem to warm up enough.” The soup might as well have been a gift from Seiros herself as far as he was concerned. “Head feels fuzzy.”

Ingrid frowned, and placed a cool hand to his forehead. Felix took the moment to eat some more.

“Well, you’re still burning up, and your sound awful. But at least you have an appetite. Do you need more blankets?” she pinched his bed covers in between her fingers, frowning. “How old are these?”

Felix shrugged, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve before he spoke.

“Does it matter? They do their job well enough.”

“Well clearly they don’t, Felix.”

Ingrid smiled. It was his least favorite smile. The one that reminded him that she was cleverer than he gave her credit for.

“I see Dimitri hasn’t been in yet.”

She didn’t even turn around to look for the cloak.

“What?” he replied dumbly.

Ingrid cocked her head towards the chair. “I saw you looking at it earlier. Were you perhaps waiting for someone to drop in?”

Felix hadn’t heard a single peep from Dimitri. Not even a passing message from Mercedes. Not from Annette. And certainly not from Dimitri himself. Even Dedue had shown more concern for him.

“No.” He brought the soup back to his lips, only to find that he’d already emptied it. He pretended to drink from it anyway. “I was just thinking about how warm the cloak was. And how thin and cold my sheets are. That’s all.”

“Is that so?” Ingrid had known Felix for far too long to buy into that. And Felix knew it. He pretended to sip from the bowl again, ignoring her question.

“Well in that case, let’s tuck you in then, shall we?”

She took the empty bowl from his hands, mid “sip”, and replaced it with the vial of medicine.

“Here. You take that.” Ingrid grinned at him, her smile saccharine and superficial. She was calling his bluff.

Felix met her smile with a steady gaze, only breaking it to down the medicine in one easy go. By the time he finished it, Ingrid was back at his bedside, cloak in hand.

With a firm hand, she pushed back on his chest, essentially shoving him back into bed. Quickly, she followed up with the cloak. “There. Now it’s almost as if our dear prince was holding you close himself.”

His heart leapt to his throat at the thought. And just as quickly he clamped it down. Dimitri hadn’t even bothered to come see him today. The teasing meant nothing. It would have meant nothing even if Dimitri had come. It didn’t matter. Why would it have mattered?

Felix’s head was spinning, his train of thought getting lost in the fever.

“Ingrid.” He had meant for it to come out as a warning. It had come out more as a plea, her name getting caught in the rasp of his voice.

“Felix.” She sighed, leaning over the bed to brush his bangs out of his face. “In all seriousness. Just go to sleep and get better. Nothing will come of moping like this. He’ll come see you tomorrow. I’ll make sure of it.”

“_Don’t_.”

The medicine was working faster than he expected. The warm weight of the cloak pushed him down towards his bed, towards sleep. It was as if his body had just realized how much he craved rest. Ingrid was right. This disease was interesting after all.

“Don’t?”

“Don’t ask him to.”

It wouldn’t matter unless if he had come on his own.

Ingrid pursed her lips. But understood.

“I won’t._ But_, if he doesn’t, I’ll make sure to make his life a living hell the next day. Those are my terms.”

Felix responded only with a half-hearted wave as his eyelids drooped. Which was enough for her.

She blew out the candle by his desk, and slipped out of his room.

* * *

Felix woke in his room. Alone.

Not that he had really expected someone by his bedside. The door had been shut, and Ingrid had apparently been playing Gatekeeper. He shut his eyes again.

He had dreamed of his childhood. Just nonsensical, disconnected scenes, one after the other. A hand in his hand, leading him down the palace gardens. An argument with Glenn. Something about a lost toy. And by his side, his partner in crime. Arms crossed and ready to defend Felix from the meddling of an older brother. A fairy tale he had once made up, sitting in a field, absentmindedly picking at wildflowers as he crafted a story about two boys, whisked away by fairies, and forced to outwit them if they wanted to escape. But the fairies hadn’t counting on the boys having each other as their allies. The other boy had nodded, adding in a few details, but mostly listening quietly. The sky was blue. But the boy’s eyes were the color of deep waves and mountain flowers and fairy wings all at once.

And Dimitri watched him. And smiled. And when Felix looked up at him, he smiled back.

Fairies. Had he really told him about fairies? Or was it a false memory, crafted by a dream?

Felix laid quietly for a moment, before deciding to complain to Byleth about nightmares. Whatever was in the medicine he was given, it was terrible.

He felt terrible.

Without a sound, he got out of bed. The cold in the air hit him as sharply as any knife could, the chills jutting up into his body. Determined to put an end to this, he rose to get dressed anyway. He passed on his coat. He would look absolutely foolish if he was coming to return the cloak, while being all bundled up himself. The chill still bit into his skin, but he ignored it. Felix spared a passing glance towards his bedside, wishing for perhaps just one cup of hot tea.

It took a moment for him to register that was he saw wasn’t a hallucination bred from a mix of fever and desire for warmth.

Felix walked over to his bedtable. And placed his fingertips on the rim of the cup.

Lukewarm. Someone had been here after all.

He leaned down, taking in the smell. Pine.

Felix regarded the cup for another moment. It would be foolish to guess where it had come from without hard evidence.

But how many in the monastery knew his favorite tea?

He rolled his eyes. He’d told the professor his favorite tea just a week ago. They probably came in to check to see how he was doing after speaking with Ingrid about his cold. It was the most logical answer. Therefore, the most probable.

Felix scoffed, mostly at himself than anything else, and tugged Dimitri’s cloak off his bed.

If he wouldn’t come see him, he’ll go see the Boar himself.

Felix wasn’t sure why it was just so important that Dimitri see him. Some deep part of him protested against thinking about his reasons too much, afraid for what the answer would be. So he slammed his door shut and stormed off towards the other man’s room.

His legs shook under his own weight. But it wasn’t important. It was more important to return the cloak. He wasn’t about to go causing trouble for others just because he was a little bit sick. Dimitri had need of this cloak. How else was he to lurk around like some sort of beast in a castle at night?

And if it was going to stir up memories in his dreams, there was no way Felix was going to last.

“Felix?”

The voice startled him, stopping him in his tracks. Felix blinked, waiting for the rest of the room to stop moving too, before slowly turning around.

“You look terrible.” Mercedes stood behind him, her thumbnail in between her teeth as she examined him. “What on earth are you doing out of bed?”

He raised Dimitri’s cloak, as if the answer should be obvious by that alone.

“I see…” Her brows furrowed, suggesting otherwise. “Perhaps we can do that later?”

“I’m not going to _keep_ it.”

“No. I don’t think anyone supposed you would.” She reached out her hand, having pieced together Felix’s intentions. “I could take that to him if you wish. You need to be in bed.”

“No.” His mind tried to race for a reason as to why, but he felt too scattered, logic too hazy to make much sense of it all.

Mercedes frowned. Then settled on her decision.

“Alright. I can’t stop you from doing what you want. But I would like for you to do one thing for me.” She raised the small vial in her hand. “Flayn brewed this one. It’s much like your last, but it should help more against the cold.”

Felix wasn’t quite sure when he agreed to be under Mercedes’ care, but he took the vial nonetheless. Warmth sounded good at the moment. Warmth sounded more than good actually.

He downed it in one go. Felix winced, handing the empty glass back to Mercedes. The burn of the liquid slipped down his throat without a verbal complaint. But going by Mercedes’ expression, his face did enough of the complaining on his behalf.

“It will start to feel better soon enough. Just give it a moment.” She didn’t even bother trying to hide the amusement in her voice. “But you have to get to bed soon.”

Felix could have sworn there was an invisible “_or else_” tacked to the end of her statement. But she just smiled brightly at him and wished him a good day. He grimaced at the taste the moment her back was turned and continued to his destination.

He hadn’t given much thought yet as to what he would say to Dimitri. Felix was annoyed. He knew that much for sure. And he was there to return the cloak. He could even return it gracefully, with no argument at all, if he so chose. That wasn’t going to happen, and he knew that well enough. But it was an option.

Felix swung open the door of Dimitri’s room.

And it was empty.

There was a bed of course. And a desk, littered with books and broken scissors. A pair of boots stashed in the corner of the room. It wasn’t completely empty.

But it was empty of Dimitri.

_Well._

Felix took a deep breath, clearing his head. He could go and find the other man, but the swimming in his head and the pull of the medicine he’d just been given informed him that that was definitely out of the question.

He could just leave the cloak here. But if he did so, then he would lose his excuse to come and scold Dimitri for not checking up on him.

Felix sat on the edge of the bed, taking a moment of reprieve. His legs for some odd reason, felt as if they had never walked a day in his life. The cloak that spilled out of his arms felt like armor over him, as heavy as his eyelids felt after Ingrid’s potion.

The potion.

He wished his eyes could snap open at the revelation. But the most his body could offer was the drooping of his shoulders in defeat. Did Mercedes say that this brew was more potent? The conversation felt like another life already. She did say it was warmer. And Felix was feeling that effect to its full extent. The heat that had once burned in his throat, now curled up in his stomach, spreading and growing. His body felt heavy with it.

Felix did not remember lying down. He remembered how badly he wished to get rid of this damned cloak, how the scent of it reminded him of his childhood, how it only dug up memories best left forgotten.

He remembered Mercedes warning to get to bed. She never specified which one. And a bed was a bed.

He remembered a young boy, who smiled at him as if it mattered.

* * *

“You’ve become more difficult to find, without your furs.”

Mercedes had always been careful to approach Dimitri where he could see her. She was very well aware that he was aware of her the moment she stepped into the greenhouse. A life shared on the battlefield would do that to people. But even on the off chance she could surprise him, she approached him on his left, and announced her presence.

“Mercedes.” Dimitri smiled at her in greeting. “How can I be of help?”

He got up from the ground, where he had been kneeling by Dedue at the flowers. One look at the plants told Mercedes that Dedue had not yet decided to trust the royal with his own strength when it came to his beloved garden. It was a wise choice.

“I was just wondering if you’ve seen Felix anywhere.”

“Felix?” Dimitri’s smile immediately dropped, his lips pursed in a small, worried frown. “He should be in his room.”

Mercedes nodded solemnly. “He was in there when I gave him his medicine. But then once I had left the room, I realized I had forgotten to warn him about how quickly it affects the body. When I made it back to his quarters, he’d vanished.”

“Any idea where he might have gone?”

She rested her chin in the palm of her hand, the perfect image of contemplation.

“I really can’t say. I’m rather worried about him.”

Mercedes watched Dimitri frown for a minute before she laid down her final card.

“I think he’d taken your cloak with him. It wasn’t in the room either when I got back.” She smiled brightly and begged for him to take the clues she laid out so carefully. “It’s a relief knowing that wherever he may be, at least he’s probably warm.”

“Yes….” He pondered it for a minute more. Mercedes worried that she had been too subtle.

Dimitri brightened.

“I have an idea.”

“Thank goodness.” She relaxed.

“I’ll be back.” He called back to Dedue, already striding out of the greenhouse. The other man hummed in reply. It was only after the door had shut behind their Prince did he speak.

“Where is he?”

“Felix?” Mercedes turned back towards the other man. “I left him in Dimitri’s room.”

“You knew he’d look for him.”

“Felix seemed like he wanted to speak with him. And you know how prickly he gets when it comes to Dimitri.” She felt a bit guilty, employing a dirty trick like that. But at least she had gone and doubled back once she was sure the medicine had done its job and taken care to tuck him in.

He was still sick after all. Rest would do him good. And if she knew Felix, she knew he wouldn’t even hear of rest until he’d gotten his emotions settled.

Dedue stood, wiping the soil from his hands as he approached her.

“You tricked him.”

“Yes.” She replied, honest.

The slightest smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Good.”

* * *

Felix didn’t dream of the past this time. He dreamt of the Cathedral.

Although this time he saw it in a state he’d never seen it before.

It was nonsensical in a way that most dreams were. Things were where they just didn’t belong, his memory of the past swapping notes with his memories of recent. The Cathedral, for example, was in pristine shape. Although instead of an alter or rubble, there was a throne. And in it sat Dimitri.

The stained glass of the windows splashed an array of colors over the King where he sat. Deep blues danced through his hair, and at the crown of his head, a circlet of gold. It moved with him, as if the sun and Earth had shifted to match the exact placement of his head everywhere he turned. He spoke out to the crowd, but Felix could not make out a word.

Instead he gazed out to rows of pews. They seemed to have multiplied, the Cathedral seeming bigger and going farther than it ever had.

Rodrigue and Glenn sat in the second row. Their heads were bowed, but once he’d noticed them, Glenn looked up, locking eyes with his brother. He nodded. Felix swallowed, and nodded back.

He raised his hand to his chest, his fingers catching the embroidered sigil that lay over his heart. His fingers ran down the silver and blue threads of the Kingdom’s symbol, not needing to look down to know it was there. He knew it in the way one just knew things in a dream.

Dimitri turned to look at him, standing by his side at the throne. His crown of light had begun to thread through his hair, cutting brilliant golds against the blue light. Felix was mesmerized.

“Thank you.”

Guilt shredded through him.

And he woke.

Felix’s eyes flew open, his heart still racing. He moved to place his hand on his own chest to will it calm, but instead found his arms tangled in heavy bedsheets. He focused his eyes, blinking away the dream and the image of the king that lived inside them.

But he’d woken to find the same man, sitting in the chair across from him, studying a garment of clothing. Felix felt his body relax at the sight of him, feeling lighter than it had all day. He told himself it was because he could finally put this cloak thing to rest. The damned thing hung in the room now, back where it belonged.

He watched him for a moment longer, not quite ready to speak up just yet. The real thing was so much different than the man in his dream. There was no ethereal glow or kingly air or any of that. The Dimitri across from him sat slumped over what Felix could guess was a shirt, the tip of his tongue poking out just slightly. Dimitri’s brows were furrowed in a way Felix had never seen before, the concentration evident in every aspect of his body language.

Felix narrowed his eyes.

“Are you..._sewing_?”

Dimitri jumped at the sound. Then immediately checked the needle in his hand, as if it he’d expected it to disappear somewhere. He sighed in relief and placed it down at his desk with a very practiced gentleness.

“Is that what you came here for? To take my bed and frown at my hobbies?” He smiled at him despite the accusation.

Bed. Right. This wasn’t his room.

Felix shot up, throwing the hefty covers off of himself.

“That wasn’t intentional.” The redness in his cheeks were due to fever, and nothing else.

“Oh?”

This was not how he had imagined this going at all.

“I’m going back to my room.” Felix kicked the heavy covers off, grateful that he seemed to have enough strength for it again. The medicine packed a powerful punch, but it had worked.

“Felix, relax.” Dimitri’s hand on his chest brought him to such a sudden stop, he felt the air rush out of his lungs. “I’m only teasing. Mercedes told me what happened.”

Mercedes knew this would happen? That didn’t quite add up, but he was quickly distracted by Dimitri’s next point.

“Drink your tea this time. I had to go through the professor’s stash to find it. At least have it so that it’s somewhat worth the scolding once they find out.” Dimitri pulled the covers back up to Felix’s chest, and propped up the pillows at the head of the bed. He placed the warm cup in his hands before Felix could protest.

Although he was a bit distracted, still putting the pieces together. It was Dimitri who had placed the cup at his bedside earlier. He remembered his favorite tea. A warm glow brewed in his chest, and Felix quickly took a sip of his tea to place the cause of the feeling onto the warm drink instead. The brute knew how to _sew_?

A cool hand touched his forehead as he drank. Felix glared at Dimitri in warning. Dimitri hummed to himself, then placed the same hand on his cheek, earning himself a scandalized sputter in protest. He ignored both.

“Your fever seems to have gone down. But you’re still very flushed...” Dimitri frowned, looking almost sad.

“Stop blaming yourself.”

“What?” Dimitri’s head snapped up, his eyes wide in surprise.

Felix took another sip of tea before explaining.

“You’re always blaming yourself. I did this to myself on my own of my own free will. What good does it do me if you mope?”

Dimitri froze for a moment, and then smiled.

“You’re an excellent voice of reason Felix. I’m sorry.”

Felix took another sip, content with that answer for now.

“And thank you.”

In a moment, the dream came rushing back. The guilt scratched at his chest.

“Don’t thank me. I haven’t done anything.” He downed the rest of the tea and presented the empty cup to Dimitri. “All done. Happy now?”

Dimitri took the cup. “I suppose. Although I would like to ask you for one favor.”

“What is it?”

The corner of Dimitri’s mouth twitched, betraying him.

“I miss our sleepovers as much as you do, but I would appreciate a warning next time.”

“Alright. We’re done here.”

Dimitri laughed, and it took all of Felix’s concentration on his own annoyance to keep a smile of his own down. He shoved off the layers of blanket that made up the royal’s bed and got to his feet, straightening his shirt. His boots had tucked themselves away under the bed. Had he kicked them off before he fell asleep?

“You have terrible bedhead you know.”

Felix paused at the door. He turned to Dimitri with a shrewd smile.

“That’s rich seeing as you are, quite literally, the king of bedhead.” And with that, he passed through the door, pleased with himself for getting the last word in.

It was only once he’d made it to his room that he realized that that was not the case.

Felix reached out to touch his bedspread, as if touching it would make his old sheets reappear, thinned out and worn by time. Instead his fingers brushed smooth fabric. Heavy and soft and beyond obvious in its quality. But the most damning thing of all was the small sigil, embroidered into the corner of the blanket, indicating its use to be held exclusively to royals.

He supposed Dimitri was rather pleased with himself for this one. It was a clever way to one up him, he’ll give him that.

Although as hard as Felix tried to twist the gift to something cruel or mocking, it did nothing to stop the warmth budding in his chest, threatening to overflow so violently, it almost scared him. Felix stood there for a moment longer, his fingertips just barely touching the covers.

Nothing will change from this, he reminded himself again.


	3. Chapter 3

This joke was very quickly starting to lose its charm.

Felix had allowed himself to be pampered. Just that one night. He was sick, so really, it was in his best interest. He had explained this to Ingrid and Sylvain when they went to visit his room last. Sylvain had attempted to snatch one of the deep blue blankets “if you don’t want it so bad”, only to get his hand sharply slapped away. Felix allowed for him to sit on them however, crossing his feet under the covers to make room for the other man on the edge of the bed

“It’s not mine to keep.” Dimitri gave no indication of wanting it back. But Felix had decided in his stead.

“So? Keep them anyway. They look so nice and heavy.” Sylvain eyed them jealously.

“Dimitri likes heavy blankets.” Ingrid explained. She was sat in his chair, her portion the dinner that she had swiped from the kitchens for the three of them perched on her crossed legs. She waved a fork in Felix’s direction as she elaborated. “He says the weight of it keeps him calm. I think he still has trouble sleeping.”

“Any particular reason you’ve been discussing blankets with him?” The irritation in his tone was clear, not appreciative of being talked about behind his back.

“We were talking about you.” Sylvain answered simply. “And it kinda seemed like they _are_ yours to keep you know.”

“I’m returning them today.”

“And sleep on what? Your old sheets? I’m burning them as soon as I can get my hands on them.”

Felix knew Ingrid would do so without a second thought.

“I’m returning some of them then.” Felix compromised, picking up the corner of the heaviest blanket. The one that was most obviously deserved by a royal. “I don’t need all of this.”

“Whaaat? Come on, that’s the best one!”

“You’re always thinking about what you need. Consider what you _want_.” Ingrid chided him, her mouth half full of potatoes.

“I _want_ the Boar to stay away from my things.”

“Says the guy who sneaks into his bed at night.”

Felix considered smothering Sylvain with one of his pillows.

“I was sick-“

“Heartsick?” Sylvain replied, not missing a beat.

_“Do you have a death wish?”_

Sylvain laughed in response. Felix wished his threats still had any sort of effect on his friends. But they knew him too well and too long to take them completely seriously.

“I was joking. But seriously, these are a gift! You want them. Dimitri wants you to have them. Turning away such a nice gesture won’t do anyone any good.”

“I’m returning them.”

“Alright fine.” Sylvain rolled his eyes, then turned his attention to his own meal, deeming Felix a lost cause. “Do whatever you want. I can’t stop you.”

So that’s precisely what he set out to do.

* * *

Felix marched towards their old classrooms. They had been rearranged since they were students. But the Professor still usually sat at the head of the table. And that’s where he found them this time as well, discussing something at the head of the table, with Dimitri and Annette circled around a book. He was pointing at a certain line, only for Annette to slap his hand away and insist on another passage from their reading.

He allowed himself to consider what the two of them were discussing together so casually, before dismissing the thought, not liking the gnawing feeling at his chest that felt suspiciously like jealousy.

“Boar.” Felix addressed him, making his stand in front of their desk.

“…Felix?” Dimitri glanced at him, then the blanket bundled in his arms, and back at Felix again. “Something I can help with?”

“I’m here to return this.”

“This?” his head cocked to the side slightly, his mouth set in a small frown. It wasn’t cute.

“I appreciate the hospitality, but I no longer have need for them.”

There. That was polite enough.

“Them? Apologies Felix, but I’m not sure what we’re talking about exactly.”

“The blankets. Your bedsheets?” He rose the bundle to Dimitri’s eye level.

“Why do you have his bedsheets?” Annette asked, her tone suspicious.

“They’re not _his_ bedsheets, they’re – ugh.” Why was Annette here? She was making things complicated. Felix turn to the Professor, hoping for some sort of support. They always seemed to know what to say.

They looked back at him, their expression offering no help whatsoever.

“They are not my bedsheets. It’s true.”

“Yes, but they’re _from_ you, yes?” he had quite enough of this already.

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

His eye was wide, expression soft. The image of sincere confusion. The expression Felix remembered from their childhood from when Felix would hide behind his door and pretend to be “lost”, so therefore the Fraldarius family simply _must_ stay another night at the castle.

The Boar was lying to him.

“This is the symbol of Faerghus, correct?”

Dimitri nodded.

“The symbol that, typically, the royal family plasters all over their things.”

“Typically, yes.”

“And it’s on this blanket.”

“So it is.”

“So it must be yours.”

Dimitri shrugged. “I do not know it.”

Byleth snorted from across the table, their hand masking the rare expression on their face.

“Are you still sick or something?” Annette asked, clearly not seeing that Felix was being messed with. “Maybe you should just go to bed.”

Felix caught the quiver of Dimitri’s lips. Just the slightest upturn on one side, disappearing as quickly as it came.

“I’m feeling just fine.” He growled through his teeth.

“If that’s the case,” Dimitri started, closing the book in front of him. “Would you be interested in a sparring session this afternoon?” His grin was more honest this time. Or at least honest-looking. Felix glared at him, annoyed that he couldn’t get a read on the other man. Just what on earth was he trying to get from this?

“With me?”

“Annette told me about how you’ve recently learned thunder magic.” Annette straightened her back proudly at the mention of her name. She had made a good teacher, Felix would admit. But probably not to her face. “I was wondering how that would evolve your swordfighting.”

“And besides,” There was that honest-looking smile again. Felix had no clue what to make of it. “Do I need an excuse to see how my old friend is doing?”

Felix stood there, feeling rather stupid with his armful of blanket, unsure of what the next correct move was.

“I’ve never seen you so hesitant to take up the sword, Felix.” Byleth finally spoke up.

“This evening.” Felix offered it like a ransom.

“This evening.” Dimitri took it as a gift.

“Well,” Dimitri said after a pause. “Thank you Professor for your time, but I promised Sylvain I’d help him at the market today.”

Felix frowned. Sylvain never mentioned that to him. Not that he had an obligation to, but still.

“Is he still trying to figure out how to fix his lance?” The Professor asked.

Dimitri nodded, gathering his things as he stood. “He keeps buying the wrong material, so he’s asked me for help. Goddess knows I know a thing or two about breaking weaponry.” He smiled at Felix as he said this, as if they shared some sort of inside joke.

Felix felt something in his chest unravel at the implication.

“Oh? Have you finally learned your tears can’t mend a broken sword?”

“It’s been ages since I’ve done anything like that!” Dimitri sputtered, a flush of pink rising to his cheeks.

“Of course. Ages.”

“One more word out of you and I’ll have you publicly executed.” Dimitri said lightly, then stopped. His gaze snapped to meet Felix’s, his expression a mix of fear and guilt. “That was-“

“A joke, I know.” Felix waved the concern away. “I’ll see you this evening. We’ll discuss this-“ Felix raised the blanket bundle in his arms “- later.” It didn’t come off as intimidating as he’d hoped.

“I have no idea what you could possibly mean by that. I’ll speak with you later Professor, Annette.” Dimitri clapped his hand on Felix’s shoulder as he left the room.

That left Felix with The Professor and Annette, the latter of which had already scrambled back to the book, reopening it and fishing through the pages.

“He’s been more relaxed than I’ve seen in years.” Byleth watched him with their trademark neutral expression. But Felix had known the Professor long enough to recognize the warm praise behind their careful eyes. “I’m glad to see you two get along.”

“We are not getting along.”

Byleth only hummed, their chin resting carefully on their palm as if in thought.

“Well, don’t hold back on him. He’s been talking up your newly found expertise in Reason since we’ve come back from the beach.”

“It’s….” Felix trailed off, taken by surprise. He hadn’t even really done much with the spell. Just light a small fire. What was so amazing about that? “I still have a long way until I’d call it expertise.”

“I’ll say.” Annette glanced up from her book, her expression playful. “If you really wanna impress His Highness, we’re going to have to find you something much more explosive than that.”

“I never said I wanted to impress him.” Felix scoffed.

“But wouldn’t it be fun?” 

He rolled his eyes.

“I’m going to teach you Thoron. It might take a while, but it will really knock his princely socks off!” she turned back to her book, but her finger waved in the air as she spoke. “We gotta get Thunder down for you first. But after that! You’ll see!”

* * *

Felix stuck his sword in the ground.

He knew very well that it was bad to do so, one was supposed to care for their sword, but it felt good to stab something inconsequential. And besides, if he kept fiddling with it as he waited his arms would grow tired before the actual training. That would give Dimitri yet another advantage next to his truly ridiculous strength.

It was evening. Where was he?

The Boar had said “evening” right? Felix hadn’t misremembered? They should have been more specific.

Why did this have him so anxious?

“Felix!”

He turned his head sharply, glare already set in place and ready to tell Dimitri off. He was not prepared however for the apologetic smile and the slight bow the other man gave him once he’d reached his feet. Felix didn’t let his glare waver nevertheless.

“My apologies. I tried to be here sooner. I know it’s no excuse but Ashe had asked me to recover a book for him, and I always have trouble turning him down.” Dimitri was still catching his breath as he spoke. “He’s just too sweet, you know?”

“I don’t.” He did.

Felix pulled his sword out of the ground. There was no need to put this off any longer.

“Really?” Dimitri readied his spear, dropping his stance to mirror Felix’s. “You’re telling me that you’re void of any soft spots?”

“I am.” He replied simply. And took the first strike. A downward slash, which was parried easily by the king, as if he was doing nothing more than swatting away a fly.

“He looks up to you a lot you know.”

“I don’t care.” The little smirk of the Prince’s was really starting to get on his nerves. Felix dodged a quick swing of the spear, retaliating quickly with a swing of his own that Dimitri side stepped away from. They were already falling into an easy pattern, far too comfortable fighting each other to really be a threat. Felix took a wild swing towards his partner’s left, attempting to break the rhythm. But it was swatted away just as easily. Dimitri’s smile grew.

“Don’t get too riled up.” He warned, causing Felix to do the exact opposite. “Ashe was telling me about this character in a book. Mean exterior, but secretly sweet to his friends. I told him it reminded me of someone-“ he paused, ducking down from a messy slash of the sword. “-and you know what? He knew exactly what I meant.”

“I’m going to disembowel you and then him.” Felix growled through clenched teeth.

Dimitri threw his head back and laughed, letting his guard slip for just a spare second, allowing for Felix to land one hit to his side with the blunt edge of the sword. He was still chuckling as he recovered, grinning up at him as he resumed his stance.

“Don’t do that.”

“What? Tease you?”

Felix doubled down. His arms were already sore, but the irritation drew them to strike harder, faster. Messier.

“_Yes_.”

Dimitri knocked a one armed strike of Felix’s to the side, leaving him wide open. With a quick step Dimitri was by his shoulder. He was so tall. When had he gotten so tall?

If it were a real battle, he would be dead.

“You’re getting sloppy.” The royal murmured. Then dug the heel of his spear into Felix’s stomach.

Felix fell in a slump, one arm hugged around his stomach. The other reflexively clutched his sword tighter. He didn’t need to look up to know that the other man’s spear was over his head, waiting for Felix to give the round to him.

He looked up either way. He was so tired of that smile turned to him. Not a victorious smile, or a sly grin. Just an honest, gentle smile. It made him sick.

Felix grabbed the end of the spear, and cast thunder.

Dimitri yelped and dropped the spear in reflex. Exactly what Felix had been hoping for. With a swipe of his leg, he knocked the weapon out of the other’s reach.

“I told you not to do that.” Felix got to his feet, his sword quickly pointed at Dimitri’s head.

The other man said nothing for a moment. Just stared at his hand in silence, ignoring the threat. After a moment, he looked back to Felix, his remaining eye wide in wonderment.

“That was...really quite clever!”

“Admit defeat.”

“Yes, yes, defeat.” Dimitri waved the tip of Felix’s sword away. “You know, I saw a sword in the marketplace just the other month. One that wields thunder and makes for a good weapon up close. I’ll see if its still there tomorrow. Perhaps I could convince the Professor it would be a good expense of the monastery’s money.”

“I said stop it.”

Felix pointed the sword back at Dimitri, his irritation growing.

“Felix?” He looked up, glancing back at the sword again at his throat, to the man holding it.

“No more of this.”

“No more…of what exactly?”

“I don’t need you to find ways to get me anything.” Felix was instantly curious the moment Dimitri mentioned such a sword. The fact that he knew that Felix would want something like that stabbed at something dark and heavy in his heart. He didn’t care for it.

“But…it would be helpful to you. And besides we’re fr-“

“_Stop.”_

Dimitri stopped. His arms dropped to his sides, looking more defeated now than he had in actual battle.

“We’re not friends. I don’t know you.” He knew Dimitri better than he knew himself. He knew how his words could sting, harder, faster and greater than any weapon. He knew how to push him away. “You don’t do things for me.”

Confusion, hurt and then confusion again swept over Dimitri’s features.

“But I would like to.”

“To be friends?” he couldn’t hold back the snarl in his tone.

“And do things for you.”

Dimitri was always incredibly honest. He knew this. Even after everything. The sword in Felix’s hand quivered, but didn’t give out. Honest or no, he was through with the whole farce. His own father died for the man that was standing, unguarded, at the other end of his sword. And Glenn…

The Shield of Faerghus. It was a joke. There was nothing heroic about dying. Not for anyone.

And yet something in his chest squirmed with disgust and dishonesty.

He’d already let Dimitri die once.

The tip of his sword met Dimitri’s chest and rested on his armor. And yet he didn’t flinch or raise a hand to protect himself. If he wanted to, he could end the other man’s life right here. They both knew that.

“You’re pushing me away.”

Felix stayed silent.

“I understand. I am not worth the life of your father and Glenn. If you’re upset with me then-”

With a flick of his wrist, the flat edge of the sword met the blind side of Dimitri’s head with a loud _thwack_. The royal yelped, his hand raised to nurse what Felix could imagine to be a terrible headache right about now.

“Would you _shut up_? That has nothing to do with it.” He snapped, but finally lowered his sword. “I’m not Glenn. And I’m not my father. I won’t be dying for you, Your Highness.”

Dimitri never once looked at him with anger. The man’s beastly demeanor stayed wrapped up nicely behind a soft and confused expression.

“I would never want for you to die for me. But I always want you by my side.” He bowed his head. “But if my wants do not coincide with yours, then I would never make you stay anywhere that hurts you.”

“What good am I by your side? I’ve already lost you once, Boar.”

“And I would have died a Boar forever if you weren’t there to calm my mind.”

“That wasn’t me. The Professor-“

“Yes. Them too. Everyone helped. I wasn’t...I wasn’t well after it all.” Dimitri’s shoulders slumped, seeming defeated for a moment. But just for the moment. “Dedue would tell me that you were too harsh. But if it wasn’t for your words, I don’t think I’d be able to find myself like I did.”

That smile was back. It clicked into place just why Felix had trouble deciphering it. He’d been overcomplicating something so simple.

“Perhaps my actions may be brutish sometimes. I understand why you’d want to get as far away from that as possible. But your words are like that as well. Brutish but honest. And it’s what I admire about you.”

Felix wanted to hit something. There was an energy in his chest, manic and trembling. He wanted to hit. He wanted to yell. Get it out. Somehow.

“I came back by myself didn’t I?” was what he said instead.

Dimitri blinked, then tipped his head in a short nod.

“You did.” He said, his tone fond and gentle.

Felix felt as if he had just admitted to something damning. But he wasn’t sure what it was. Whatever it had been, it pleased the Boar Prince across from him, his expression open with affection.

_Affection_. After all this time. After everything.

“I won’t die for you.” Felix repeated. He’d cling to every last drop of life if it kept him from becoming just another ghost.

“Thank you.”

The guilt that had clenched his heart since he’d learned the truth of what had happened to his childhood friend squeezed again, taking his breath.

“Dimitri, I-“

“Your Highness!” Felix nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound. He twisted around, raising his sword.

Your- _whoa_!” Ashe came to a skidding halt. He was still far from Felix’s reach, but he kept a watchful eye on the sword in his hand either way. He raised his hands in surrender. Or at least as high as he could with a book tucked under one of them.

“Ashe.” Dimitri said, purposefully.

“…_Dimitri_.” Ashe said his name as if it caused him physical pain. “You know I don’t like to-“ he shook his head. “No, not right now. Listen, Your Highness. There’s been reports of an uprising. The Professor sent me to get for you.”

“An uprising?”

Ashe winced. “They…they lost their children. During it all. Here, back then.”

The silence somehow hit harder than Ashe’s words. Felix felt his hands start to sweat under his grip.

“I see.”

Whatever fondness, whatever affection or…._anything_, was gone now. Felix watched as the man who was just there, disappear. His expression hardened, devoid of any real emotion.

He’d lost him again.

“They’ll be here in a day or two’s time.” Ashe answered Dimitri’s unasked question.

“The Professor?”

“They’re in the old classroom. They think we should ride to try to meet them in the morning.”

Dimitri nodded. He bent down to pick up the forgotten spear from their fight, then made his way out of the training grounds, Ashe following quickly behind.

Felix couldn’t believe he’d nearly fallen for it again. Nearly believed that he could have him back. If only for a moment. But his friend had slipped past his fingers as easily as he did all those years ago.

“And Felix?”

Dimitri stopped for a moment, turning back to look at him. Felix held his breath.

“Get some rest.” A tired and small smirk slipped into his expression. “We wouldn’t want our favorite storytale knight to be all worn out in the morning.”

“Wha-“

“Put those mysterious new bedsheets to good use.”

“You know who else he reminds me of?” Felix heard Ashe start, trotting at Dimitri’s heels. “He’s sort of like Kyphon! First of all, they both excel at the sword. And you remember that story with Loog and the griffin?”

He heard Dimitri chuckle. He sounded tired. But he sounded like Dimitri.

Felix watched them go before turning towards his own room. He’d rest. And tomorrow he might fight. He wasn’t going to die. Not for Dimitri. Not for anyone. But he wasn’t going to let anyone die either. He felt the tight vice of guilt in his chest weaken slightly.

He had him back now. They didn’t need to be friends.

But he wasn’t going to lose him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you and thank you again for all the wonderful comments on the last two chapters! I'll be finally responding to them today. I wanted to have another chapter ready for you guys before doing so, and I'm sorry it took so long! I don't know why but this chapter gave me so much trouble. Maybe it was just my brain being fried from going to work so often lately. But it's labor day weekend! So I really wanted to get at least something out, even though it's shorter than the other two and to be honest, I feel like at some parts it doesn't make too much sense.
> 
> And I'd like to apologize for the next chapter, I have a con coming up mid-september, so it might take a little while longer, but I'll try to keep them coming nevertheless!
> 
> Anyway, here, take this thing before I reread it for the hundreth time and make less and less sense of it.


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